Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wil and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Wil: $3,084 a month against $4,451 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wil
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,084
/mo nomad
Zurich
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$4,451
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wil and in Zurich

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wil and in Zurich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,084 per month in Wil vs $4,451 in Zurich, rent included.

  • Wil $3,084
  • Zurich $4,451

A couple spends around $4,617 per month in Wil vs $6,817 in Zurich, rent included.

  • Wil $4,617
  • Zurich $6,817

A family of three spends $6,150 per month in Wil vs $9,184 in Zurich, rent included.

  • Wil $6,150
  • Zurich $9,184

Wil is about 31% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wil and Zurich sit above the global median – Wil by 128%, Zurich by 230%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.32 CHF 24.14
$34.71 CHF 28.59
-15.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$145 CHF 119
$144 CHF 119
0.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$23.90 CHF 19.68
$17.69 CHF 14.57
35.10%
Cappuccino
$6.09 CHF 5.02
$6.91 CHF 5.69
-11.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 CHF 4.73
$5.86 CHF 4.83
-1.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.08 CHF 4.18
$5.15 CHF 4.24
-1.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.16 CHF 7.55
$9.70 CHF 7.99
-5.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.46 CHF 5.32
$8.28 CHF 6.82
-21.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 CHF 1.78
$2.20 CHF 1.81
-1.82%
White Bread (500g)
$4.18 CHF 3.44
$3.78 CHF 3.11
10.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.73 CHF 3.07
$3.68 CHF 3.03
1.36%
Eggs
$7.52 CHF 6.19
$8.54 CHF 7.03
-11.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.86 CHF 22.12
$27.22 CHF 22.42
-1.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$28.65 CHF 23.59
$27.67 CHF 22.79
3.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.13 CHF 33.88
$61.7 CHF 50.8
-33.31%
Apples (1kg)
$3.57 CHF 2.94
$4.14 CHF 3.41
-13.77%
Banana (1kg)
$2.00 CHF 1.65
$2.68 CHF 2.21
-25.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 CHF 1.92
$3.54 CHF 2.91
-34.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.46 CHF 4.50
$4.45 CHF 3.67
22.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 CHF 1.63
$2.54 CHF 2.09
-22.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.06 CHF 1.70
$2.21 CHF 1.82
-6.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CHF 1.93
$2.52 CHF 2.07
-7.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 CHF 0.97
$1.24 CHF 1.02
-5.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.80 CHF 8.90
$10.62 CHF 8.75
1.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.28 CHF 15.05
$13.83 CHF 11.39
32.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 CHF 1.74
$2.66 CHF 2.19
-20.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 CHF 1.92
$3.18 CHF 2.62
-26.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Wil
Zurich
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.94 CHF 3.25
$5.39 CHF 4.44
-26.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.0 CHF 73.3
$106 CHF 87.2
-15.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.60 CHF 5.44
$7.93 CHF 6.54
-16.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.77 CHF 3.93
$4.50 CHF 3.71
6.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.34 CHF 29.93
$89.4 CHF 73.6
-59.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.23 CHF 1.84
$2.28 CHF 1.87
-2.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K CHF 28.1K
$39.0K CHF 32.1K
-12.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K CHF 32.4K
$39.5K CHF 32.6K
-0.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$271 CHF 224
$276 CHF 227
-1.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.31 CHF 30.73
$36.80 CHF 30.31
1.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.6 CHF 44.98
$56.0 CHF 46.10
-2.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$81.9 CHF 67.4
$91.3 CHF 75.2
-10.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$60.0 CHF 49.43
-
Cinema Ticket
$26.59 CHF 21.90
$24.81 CHF 20.43
7.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,300 CHF 1,894
$3,505 CHF 2,887
-34.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.7K CHF 26.1K
$41.7K CHF 34.3K
-23.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$146 CHF 120
$139 CHF 115
5.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$67.5 CHF 55.6
$58.3 CHF 48.04
15.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 CHF 117
$166 CHF 137
-14.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$267 CHF 220
$260 CHF 214
2.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wil
Zurich
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,459 CHF 1,202
$2,916 CHF 2,402
-49.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 CHF 891
$2,308 CHF 1,901
-53.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,128 CHF 1,753
$5,918 CHF 4,874
-64.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,460 CHF 1,202
$4,092 CHF 3,370
-64.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$26.8K CHF 22.1K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$16.2K CHF 13.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wil
Zurich
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,294 CHF 3,536
$7,928 CHF 6,529
-45.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.9
2.07
-8.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wil: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Wil
$1.1K
Zurich
$2.3K 113% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Wil
$607
Zurich
$671 10.5% $64
Eating Out
Wil
$481
Zurich
$523 8.6% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wil
$363
Zurich
$369 1.6% $5.6
Clothing & Footwear
Wil
$280
Zurich
$281 0.1% $0.3
Getting Around
Wil
$135
Zurich
$158 16.8% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Wil
$135
Zurich
$141 4.3% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,459 in Wil versus $2,916 in Zurich. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 85% higher in Zurich, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $145 in Wil versus $144 in Zurich. Groceries tell a different story – $607 in Wil vs $671 in Zurich – so Wil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Wil
🇨🇭 Zurich
🕒 Local time
11:29 11:29 AM
11:29 11:29 AM
Same time as Wil
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,988
443,037
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wil Zurich 39 km
From you
  • Wil
  • Zurich

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Wil vs Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Wil and in Zurich compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,084 in Wil, $4,451 in Zurich – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Wil compared to Zurich?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,626 per month in Wil and $6,676 in Zurich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Wil and Zurich?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wil, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Wil and in Zurich?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Wil. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Wil and Zurich?
Kindergarten costs $2,300 per month in Wil and $3,505 in Zurich. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,084 in Wil and $4,451 in Zurich. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Wil and Zurich?
It depends on your priorities. Zurich has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,084 in Wil to $4,451 in Zurich. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Wil or Zurich safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Wil and Zurich?
If budget matters most, go with Wil. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zurich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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